The 15 Disciplines

The Fifteen Disciplines of the Buddha (A Buddha is a person who in this lifetime has come to an understanding of who they are, it is not limited to any culture, it is often referred to as self-aware, self-consciousness, or enlightenment. Any person can become a Buddha, and many people have experienced this before they die, it is called the long stare, where there is no seperation between this world and the next, only one life.)

1. Respect Buddhas

   • • Tao is real. Propriety is real. The Buddha Land Decree is real. Buddhas are real, too. As we are cultivating ourselves earnestly, we should respect Buddhas. Worship them as if they exist next to us at all times. As we always keep righteousness in our hearts, our Buddha is with us all the time.
   • • On a deeper level, we need to reflect upon our internal Buddha within us, we need to respect and consult our own conscience and true nature.
   • • After received Tao and having awakened the Buddha nature within us, we should respect our own Buddha and never stray far away from our true nature.



2. Follow Seniors guidance and mentor the novices

   • • Our Seniors are those who been active and have more experience in the Tao affairs. They have wholeheartedly devoted themselves to the Tao affairs. Their dedication and sacrifices deserve our admiration. They are the role models that Tao brothers and sisters can look up to. We should admire the virtues of our senior members and follow their advice.
   • • The Seniors are those who are humble and have a compassionate heart; they help all sentient beings and those whom they have affinity with. They are not selective in helping everyone to understand more about Tao. In the Tao arena, they respect, listen and guide all the Tao brothers and sisters.
   • • In addition, we should also mentor the junior members gradually and patiently on the right path.



3. Refrain, be dignify, calm and center

   • • Refrain from recklessness. Dignify our actions. Center our thoughts. Correct our behavior. Do not be controlled by emotions and do not let our mindset be deviated.
   • • We cannot focus only on being dignifying externally especially if we still have desires and bond by our senses. The true Dignify work is to work on our “interiors” within us. We should correct ourselves before correcting others.



4. Adhere to Tao etiquettes

   • • If we follow all the rules in the Tao, we can cultivate without crossing boundaries, and become the honorable person who can be both well-rounded and morally upright.
   • • Perform our roles properly for that is the most basic and fundamental Tao disciplines.
   • • Follow our conscience, our own inner Holy Altar etiquettes. Level our hearts; ask ourselves if we are sincere, compassionate, calm and serene.



5. Accept responsibility

   • • As Tao cultivators, we have the responsibility to be benevolent. We have to carry it out sincerely so that we would not be remiss in our duties.
   • • All of us have mission in this world i.e. to guide people to receive Tao, let others recover their true pure heart and bring peace and harmony to their families and the society.
   • • Being responsible also means regardless of the difficulties we face, we persevere with our aspiration i.e. save sentient beings and no retreat. We have to move ahead courageously to overcome any challenges and vow to lead sentient beings to Buddha Land.



6. Pay more attention to holy affairs than personal ones

   • • Although personal affairs will consume much more time than holy affairs, we should not delay the latter by the former and need to make sure that mundane will not interfere with the divine. The enlightened one will understand that the holy affairs of saving the world are much more important than personal affairs.
   • • Before we engage in any activities, we ask ourselves if our actions intention is to help and serve others or to satisfy our personal interest. We must learn to cast away our selfishness and take care of our own true heart or conscience.



7. Be humble, respectful, and courteous

   • • By being humble and respectful to senior members, we will benefit from their sharing and experience. By being amiable to junior members, we will earn their respect. We must not only be respectful to Masters and our seniors but to everyone including the public.
   • • In everything we do, we need to be humble. We do not make judgment or make differentiation. This genuine attitude arises from our true heart and is only possible when our pure self is shining. Hence we need to learn to let go our ego and respect everyone.
   • • We must not take advantage of others and look down on others.



8. Do not throw away the scriptures by Buddhas

   • • The sutras are originated from the Buddhas. It is the Truth and a guide to correct ourselves.
   • • We need to respect, treasure and do not throw them.
   • • Most important understand and put the scriptures teachings into practice; emulate the Buddhas compassionate heart.



9. Do not get stuck on shape or attached on appearance

   • • All material things will erode and not last forever. We cannot continue to be attached to forms otherwise we would not be enlightened. We need to understand the true essence and only then we will be calm and carefree.
   • • We should believe in the Truth, the Buddha Land Decree and not attracted to external phenomena.



10. Clear financial procedures

    • • All the Tao affairs money is Buddha monies, we cannot spend them recklessly; for doing so we will need to repay it back.
    • • All financial affairs must be clearly written and be handled without confusion.



11. Tell before leaving and report when

    returning
    • • Tell the seniors before we leave for a journey, so as to get some beneficial advice. Report to them when we return in order to relieve their worries about our safety.
    • • When we carry out and perform things, we need to be responsible and be truthful.



12. Do not disorder the system

    • • In the Holy Affairs, we need to follow and respect the masters, our seniors, introducers and guarantors. There should not be transgression of rank resulting in the juniors instructing the seniors.
    • • As Tao cultivators, we need to check our conscience and true self and not fall slave to our desires. Inwardly, when we should not think too much, let go of our ego only then we are able to connect to Buddhaland.



13. Do not waste things for public use in the sanctuary

    • • Things for public use in the Tao centre are from the resources donated by fellow Tao cultivators. Items such as books are to be given away, belong to everyone. Let us not be stingy when we use them for a good cause. At the same time, when it is not necessary to use them, we should not waste anything, not even a needle or a thread.
    • • Consider our Masters, Speakers, Introducer, no doubt they too represent Holy Teacher and Tao centres tools and are for public use; do we love, treasure, respect and appreciate them?



14. Handle affairs in a flexible manner

    • • Being close to Tao is being flexible; we need to change in according to the situations and events. Sentient beings keep changing, so we need to use different tactics, to adjust their hearts and help them to recover their consciousness and turn them to the right path leading to the Buddha Land.
    • • Hence being energetic and upbeat is natural for the positive mind. When we work on tasks in the Tao, we should value this active, dynamic approach. When we sense there is something missing or imperfect, we should have the initiative to take action and find solutions.
    • • Be like a mirror, our Buddha nature does not hold on any (past) images, the image disappear when the object leave. Hence we must be present; do our best in every situation and not attached to outcome. The key is that so long we carry out in accordance with our conscience and for the sake of sentient beings.



15. Be prudent in our words and conduct

    • • Tao and Buddha Land cannot speak for themselves hence we have to represent Tao, so others will be touched and inspired.
    • • A man of virtue shall be very cautious in both his words and conduct. We should not hurt or misleading others, instead we need to help others and solve their problems. We should share the Truth and not simply say useless thing.
    • • We must be a role model, be integrity person and ‘walk the talk’ i.e. we must carry out whatever we promised.